National Day of Prayer Services are planned for Thursday at two locations in Cherokee County by the Cherokee Christian Ministerial Association.

The prayer services are at noon at the gazebo at The Park at City Center in downtown Woodstock and the gazebo at Cannon Park in downtown Canton.

Pastor Lemora B. Dobbs of St. Paul AME Church in Canton is coordinating the Canton event, and Cindy O’Leary of The Hope Center in Woodstock is in charge of the Woodstock event.

“Several years ago following the events of 9/11, a national day of prayer was established. It happens on the first Thursday of May every year,” Dobbs said.

A few years later, the local ministerial association began sponsoring the local services.

The services are expected to last about 50 minutes, and prayers will be offered for those in government, church, military, family, education, media and business.

“The recent bombings at the Boston Marathon and other events of violence show the need for us to set aside a time to call the nation to prayer,” Dobbs said. “There are also lot of things going on in our own community that we need prayer for.”

Among those participating as leaders at the services include Keto Johnson, Trent Goodwin, and other clergy in the community. Music will be provided and Derek Cornelison is performing at the Canton service, she said.

“It is free to the public and we invite everyone to come. We are grateful to the government officials in both cities for allowing us to do this,” Dobbs said. “Everyone in our group is Christian, but that does not say that we are not inclusive of other faiths.”

Pastor Fred Goodwin of Church of the Messiah in Canton serves as CCMA’s president. The Park at City Center is located at 1 Arnold Mill Road in Woodstock and Cannon Park is at 130 Main Street in Canton.

For more information about the services or CCMA, contact CCMASecretary@gmail.com.

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